


Bleeding Love

by artemis101



Category: My Babysitter's A Vampire
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Don't copy to another site, M/M, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 20:42:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29442075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemis101/pseuds/artemis101
Summary: He found his breath stolen away by blood and flowers.
Relationships: Ethan Morgan/Benny Weir
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	Bleeding Love

**Author's Note:**

> Did I plan to write this months ago and only ever write one sentence, yes. Did I for some reason end up writing all of this on Valentines day, also yes. FYI the name is a song by Leona Lewis called Bleeding Love. It's really good if anyone wants to give it a listen.

Ethan’s chest heaved as each wheezing breath caused flowers to flow from his throat to the floor. Purple buds and petals littered the floor sticking where they landed, clingy bits of bloody saliva causing them to stick where they landed. Ethan was glad when the coughing fit passed as each cough had caused more and more flowers to appear. These fits had been getting progressively worse but he was steadfast in his refusal to tell anyone about it beyond Grandma Weir. After her explanation as to what it was, he was just glad Benny hadn’t been around when he coughed up flowers in front of her.

_ Being the one that had to go get drinks from the kitchen sucked but he was thirsty and Benny had won rock paper scissors. He couldn’t put off getting a drink any longer as it was. His throat was starting to feel like it was on fire. Ethan lifted the glass of water to his mouth when the coughing started. His glass fell to the floor shattering as he began coughing into his elbow. Every cough felt like something was moving in his throat. He barely noticed Grandma enter the room but he felt it when she started rubbing his back. _

_ “Well, that’s quite a coughing fit you’ve got going on. Perhaps you two need to yell a little less.” _

_ The smile on her face faded as his cough subsided and he pulled his arm away. _

_ “Ethan, what’s on your arm?” _

_ Her worry was palpable as she stared at the crook of his elbow where a petal now sat.  _

_ “Dang it, sorry Grandma, I didn’t realize I hit one of your flower bushes. I’ll be more careful.” _

_ “Ethan, I don’t grow larkspur. It’s only good in specific types of spells, black magic ones typically.” _

_ “Am I cursed?!” _

_ Ethan felt terror grip him, all of the stuff they faced in Whitechapel and something magical happening never got any less scary. The look on Benny’s Grandmother's face didn’t help either.  _

_ “I don’t think so but if I’m right, you’ll certainly wish you were. Come on, I have an indicator spell that will tell us what it is.” _

_ Ethan followed her into the living room and took a seat on the couch where she motioned that he sit. He felt himself breathe in stuttering gasps as he tried not to hyperventilate. With a look, she pointed at him and spoke, “Enough of that now. Passing out won’t do anyone any favors.” _

_ Ethan nodded and tried to regulate his breathing better as Grandma Weir began pulling ingredients out that were hidden around the room. He watched as she mixed them all quickly while chanting over them. The ingredients melded together into a neon pink mixture. She proceeded. _

_ “Hold out both palms.” _

_ Ethen nervously offered her his hands. Using the finger she had dipped in the mixture she steadily drew a swirl on both palms. After a few seconds, a soft purple glow emanated from Ethan’s chest through his shirt. _

_ “Oh dear, that’s what I was afraid of.” _

_ Ethan stared at her, panicking. _

_ “What does that mean?” _

_ “I’m afraid you managed to get an extremely rare illness. Luckily there is a cure, though you’ll have to cure yourself.” _

_ “What is it?! What do I have?!” _

_ “Calm down Ethan, this doesn’t have to be the end of the world. You have Hanahaki’s disease. It’s a sickness that causes flowers to grow in your chest. If untreated these flowers will grow until you either suffocate or the roots pierce your heart.” _

_ “What’s the cure?” _

_ Reluctantly she answered, “You have to confess to the person you love… and in return, they have to love you back.” _

_ It felt like the world shattered around him. He had to confess… He couldn’t do that. The person didn’t love him back. _

_ Grandma Weir interrupted his thoughts by speaking, “Now normally one would have around a year depending on when the disease was caught but I’m afraid you have less time than normal.” _

_ “Why do I have less time?” _

_ “The spell told me what the flowers growing are. The one you coughed up earlier was larkspur. The other one is wolfsbane. These are both extremely poisonous plants. The more deadly the plant is, the faster Hanahaki progresses but you could also be poisoned. You’re coughing up flowers now, so at most I would say you have two months left if you leave this unchecked.” _

_ The last revelation left Ethan feeling numb and his response was emotionless, “Can you do anything about it?” _

_ “The only option is to confess. I know it’s hard but it’s worth the risk.” _

_ “No, no I can’t. I can’t tell them I love them and if they don’t love me back I’ll die. That’s not fair to,” Ethan stopped himself right before he said Benny’s name, “That’s not fair to Sarah. I can’t do that to her.” _

_ “Ethan if you want any chance to live then you have to.” _

_ “I can’t ask her to suffer and pretend to love me, she’s already done too much for me. It wouldn’t be fair to ask her to be stuck with me.” _

_ “Well, then I’m sure you’ll be happy to know you’re living up to what those blooms growing in your chest represent.” _

_ Ethan just looked at her confused. _

_ “Larkspur represents a strong bond of love and Wolfsbane represents caution and death. And dead is something you’ll certainly be if you don’t even try.” _

_ With that last retort, she left him sitting alone in the room until Benny came looking for him. _

“Ethan, are you dying in there?”

Ethan looked at the door in confusion as he heard Benny’s voice. Benny wasn’t supposed to be here, he had to help Grandma Weir collect herbs. Ethan barely managed to wheeze a response, “Why are you here?”

“Harsh dude, Grandma let me out of my chores so I came to hang with you but I have to say, I’m not really feeling the love right now.”

Ethan tried to respond but he began coughing again. His vision became spotty and his body felt even weaker as it was once more deprived of consistent oxygen. He knew Grandma’s timeline was right, he would likely be dead by the end of the day. From what he could see the bathroom floor was almost a sea of flowers. People would have to wade through them just to find his body. “Ethan, you don’t sound good, are you okay?”

Ethan couldn’t answer as his vision fully faded and he felt himself falling unconscious. He was glad for the soft landing the petals made, even if they smelled metallic.

“Ethan? I hope you’re decent cause I’m coming in.”

He barely managed to think ‘don’t’ before he was fully passed out.

_ From then on Ethan pretended to be fine until he couldn’t keep it up anymore. He still played video games with Benny and pretended to have a crush on Sarah. They stopped going over to Benny’s. At first, because Ethan couldn’t stand to see the sad looks Grandma Weir cast at him, then later on because he found it hard to travel far distances. The coughing fits came too often bringing with them purple rain made of flowers. After that, the only thing left was to pretend to be sick, not that it was a very hard act to pull. As morbid as it was Ethan found himself glad he only had to go through this for a brief period of time. He couldn’t imagine suffering the torment of his own love for a year.  _

Ethan woke, his breathing ragged as every breath was no more than a gasp. His chest felt stuffed full of cotton. 

“Ethan?”

Ethan drew on what little strength he had to title his head and look at Benny. Ethan saw Benny holding his hand and realized he couldn’t even feel it but when he watched Benny squeeze his hand he tried to squeeze back. “Dude, what’s wrong with you? I asked Grandma and she said it was your decision to tell me. She also said you’re dying. Ethan… are you dying?”

Ethan exhaled what breath he had in a sigh. He tried to nod his head but found that he had finally used all the strength he had in trying to clutch Benny’s hand back.

“Yeah. I guess I managed to catch some rare disease and there’s no cure.”

Every word felt like knives being used to shred the inside of his throat. 

“There has to be! We have magic! Grandma has to have something, a spell, a potion, something! I’ll go over there and be right back. Benny got up, his long gait carrying him to the door before Ethan’s wrecked voice stopped him.

“Don’t. I already talked with her. There’s nothing she can do. Please… just, stay with me, please?”

Ethan didn’t doubt he looked as miserable as he felt but somehow he managed to extend a few fingers towards Benny. Benny looked torn between walking out of the door anyway and he stood there for a solid minute before his shoulders slumped and he trudged back to Ethan’s bed. Instead of sitting in the chair, he flopped onto the bed, careful not to crush Ethan. Ethan was too exhausted to mention the odd behavior. He just cuddled into Benny’s side and went to sleep.

Ethan wasn’t sure how long he slept before he was brutally ripped from sleep by Benny jerking up. His voice raised in an accusation forced Ethan to open his eyes.

“You’re a liar!”

“Benny what are you talking about.”

It was no more than a mumble as Ethan let his eyes start to fall closed again.

“I just found it in my grimoire. Hanahaki’s disease! There’s a cure and you know it. Grandma would’ve told you. So you’re just laying here waiting to die. Why?!”

Grief and rage fought for a place on Benny’s face as he demanded an answer.

“It wouldn’t be right, to ask someone to spend their whole life lying to me about being in love just so I won’t die.”

“That’s stupid, you’re being stupid and that’s my job. Sarah will outlive you by centuries so it wouldn’t hurt her to pretend,” Benny seemed to realize what he said and started backtracking, “Not that she would be pretending, dude you’re awesome. No one would have to pretend to love you, anyone would be lucky to have you. So no more. I don’t care what you say, I’m getting Sarah and you’re going to confess and live a long life.”

“It wouldn’t work.”

Ethan had never seen Benny look so livid. 

“I’ll make it work, even if I have to cast a truth spell on you to make you confess to her. I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU DIE!”

Ethan yanked himself into a sitting position resting his weight on his arms, pissed that Benny wouldn’t listen to him. 

“It won’t work because I don’t love Sarah, I love you”

Ethan felt his eyes go wide as the words spilled from his lips. They both stared at each other stunned.

“It’s me?”

Benny asked, his soft words barely breaking through the pandemonium in Ethan’s head.

“Forget it, I didn’t mean to say that.”

Ethan laid back down, turning over onto his stomach and closing his eyes so he wouldn’t see Benny. The silence sat over them for a few more moments until Benny spoke once more, “You’re breathing better. I can hear them coming easier. Ethan felt the bed dip as Benny sat beside him. He hadn’t even heard Benny walk over, which was odd considering Benny was loud in everything he did. Filling all of the spaces in Ethan’s life with his presence. 

“Would you feel better if I said I love you too?”

Ethan heaved a sigh into the blanket.

“You don’t have to lie to me. I know you don’t love me, that’s why I didn’t want to tell anyone.”

Ethan felt Benny’s hands wrap around his shoulder and forcefully roll him over. Ethan’s eyes flew open in shock as he felt Benny’s lips press against his. They were soft, Ethan noted to himself that he shouldn’t be surprised, considering how often he saw Benny put on chapstick. Ethan let his eyes close as he kissed back.

“I promise I’m not lying E. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“I think I believe you.”

Ethan felt his breathing go back to normal. His chest still ached and he still felt weak but he was able to take a full breath.

Benny grinned at him, their faces still close together.

“So can you breath?”

Ethan looked at him before leaning in and pressing his lips to Benny’s before whispering, “I think kissing you has been the first time I’ve ever really breathed.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read this. If you want to talk you're free to find me at [ Tumblr](https://artemis099.tumblr.com)


End file.
